2 Truths and a Lie about Fitness and Nutrition

This past week I wrote a “2 Truths and A Lie” themed newsletter for Purposeful Strength and had so much fun doing it, I bringing round two to the 3 Things on Thursday.

Creative roadblock? Maybe.

Am I feeling particularly ranty? Definitely.

Truth: Your nutrition will dictate 90% of your fitness success.

Note the word choice here- fitness success. Not weight loss. Not body composition, but fitness success.

In case you were wondering, nutrition dictates 100% of your weight loss or body composition goals. Shout out to energy balance.

When it comes to fitness, your ability to fuel your workouts with proper nutrition, your ability to drive protein synthesis from protein intake throughout the day, even all the way down to how well you sleep at night comes from your quality nutrition day in and day out.

For many, nutrition is scary. I’ve found for many when you put into perspective WHAT nutrition can do for your other goals, you tend to try harder.

If you want to improve ((insert fitness goal here)), if you can quantifiably improve your nutrition, you’ll be drastically closer to achieving that goal.

Truth: The same exercise performed in a different position can increase or decrease intensity.

I spend most of my days in a commercial gym where I see people performing exercises in a standing or seated position. While those are fine positions to train out of, they are two pieces of the intensity spectrum.

If you need to make an exercise easier, get closer to the ground...for example, a floor press is a more stable position than a standing cable press. Though the LOAD may be different for the two movements, the position dictates the load due to the stability provided.

Don’t be afraid to work from a tall-kneeling or half-kneeling position to get some added stability benefits.

Half kneel versus standing? Is there a difference, yep.

Standing windmill- different demands than the half-kneeling variation shown above.

Lie: You need to train hard every workout to achieve your fitness goals.

Okay, first thing’s first. ‘Hard’ is a subjective grade. What’s hard for me, may not be hard for you.

Next thing, training hard is important, but training with consistency is the most important.

80% of your workouts you’re going to punch the clock and just show up and put your best foot forward. 15% of your workouts will probably feel like absolute dog shit because, life. 5% of your workouts are going to be filled with personal bests and herculean-like strength because, again, life (and probably nutrition...see truth number 1).

No heavy science behind this lie, just an appreciation for the perspective behind some of the word choices we often associate with success.